Today I would like to review some of my favorite generators for home use.  I carefully selected the ones that give you the most bang for your buck, along with reliability and dependability. I also took into consideration the noise factor, so those I felt didn’t meet my standards were not reviewed. Before doing so, let’s go over the different types of home generators and what you need to know before getting started.

Types of generators

Portable Generators: Portable generators are the most common types of generators out there. They are more affordable and can be taken almost anywhere; like camping or used in an RV.  They can run on various fuel sources, like gas, propane and diesel.  They come with a 120-volt outlets similar to the ones in your home. You can connect tools and home appliances to the outlets or directly into a transfer switch ( we will discus this in detail later),  allowing you to use the power outlets in your home directly.

Standby Generators: Standby generators, or residential generators are a lot pricier than their portable counterpart, but they pack enough power for your entire home. They can be wired directly into your home’s electrical circuit system. Standby generators are installed in a permanent location and can be connected to your current natural gas line, or liquid propane. One of the advantages of a standby generator is that it can automatically detect a power outage and start automatically.  Unlike portable generators, they require professional installation with the proper permits.  Depending on the model, a transfer switch may have to be purchased separately.

What you need to know before you buy

There a few things you need to consider before purchasing your generator. Here are a few points to remember:

1. How much of your house do you want to power.
2. How much power will you need.  Look at the screen shot below from my last post to get an idea of  how many watts you may need.
3. If your getting a portable generator, consider the size of the gas tank and the fuel source.
4. Standby generators require a permanent location. Determine the location, and measure the area. Find out from your town if a permit is required, and be prepared to pay extra for installation.

Portable Generators – My Picks

I carefully researched these portable generators, and believe they provide the most value and performance for the money. My focus was on power and noise. Residential generators shouldn’t be loud machines like most commercial models.

Honeywell HW7500e 9375 Watt Portable Gas Generator

Honeywell HW7500e Portable Generator

This is by far one of my favorites. Why, because it can compete with many of the low-end standby generators. You want power? you get it with this baby. It comes with a one touch electric start button, and it includes the battery. Honeywell is a very popular and well known brand, so you know you will be getting a good product & warranty.  This is a very dependable gas powered home generator. If you want to be able to power almost all of the appliances, lights, etc.. in your home than you can’t get any better than the Honeywell HW7500e.

Product Details:

• Up to 7 hour run time at 50% load
• 9375 max watts & 7000 continuous watts
• One touch power button & easy to operate
• 3 year warranty
• Weight 233 pounds

Click here for more details and latest prices

DuroMax XP440E 4,400 Watt Portable Generator

DuroMax XP4400E Portable Generator

For starters I like the fact that this DuroMax generator doesn’t use those annoying starter ropes.  It comes with an electric starter so you won’t have to worry about pulling on that rope. It is also quiet and can handle the load with easy. Overall you get very good performance at an excellent value.

Product Details:

• Weight 135 pounds
• Auto low oil shut off
• Electric key start & includes the battery
• 4 gallon gas tank with 8 hours of run time
• 4400 watt surge & 3500 watt continuous

Click here for more details & latest prices

ETQ PG30P11 3,500 Propane Powered Generator

ETQ PG30P11 Propane powered generator

This generator uses clean-burning propane to power it’ 208-cc 7 hp engine.  It is very quiet, efficient, and can power most of your household items. It provides a very cost affective power for all your appliances. If you want to save a few bucks but not sacrifice any power, than this generator is a great option. One of my favorite features is the use of propane. It makes it so much easier than dealing with gas.

Product Details:

• 1 year warranty
• Quiet – only 65db
• Propane powered
• 3000 running watts & 3500 max watts
• It has a 6.42 gallon tank with 11 hours of run time

Click here for more details & latest prices

Standby Generators – My Picks

For professional protection from power outages you will need a standby generator. The greatest thing about these generators is the auto detection capabilities. When you lose power it automatically turns on, then off when the power returns. My goal here was to pick generators designed for the average home, since some seem to be designed to power a mansion.

Generac Guardian Series 5501 8,000 Watt Standby Generator

Generac Guardian Series 5501

• This air-cooled 8,000 watt generator can run on liquid propane or natural gas. It comes in a white steel enclosure and offers hands-free operation. One nice feature is the included automatic transfer switch. For many other models you would have to buy this separate.

Product Details:

• Automatic protection
• Propane & natural gas powered
• Rugged & worry free design
• Includes automatic transfer switch
• 8,000 Watts

Click here for more details & latest prices

Briggs & Stratton 40248 7000 Watt Standby Generator

Briggs & Stratton 40248

I love the dual propane tank option on this generator. It kind of reminds me of my grill, and seems just as simple to operate. It is powered by an extended life series engine. The transfer switch is optional and is required to convert it to a standby generator. It runs on propane or natural gas, and comes with a special cold weather feature.

Product Details:

• Weight 390 pounds
• Propane or natural gas
• 50% quieter than most portable generators
• 7000 Watts
• Dual Mode & Air Cooled

Click here for more details & latest prices

Generac Guardian Series 5744 20,000 Watt Standby Generator

Generac Guardian 5744

If you have a bigger home and require more power, than this is the perfect generator for you. Generac makes some of the best standby generators around. The Guardian Series 5744 can be powered by propane or natural gas.  It provides fast acting automatic protection for your home.

Product Details:

• Rugged & worry free design
• Powerful Generac OHVI engine
• 20,000 watts of power
• Whole house protection
• Automatic transfer switch included
• Weight 620 pounds

Click here for more details & latest prices

I hope you have found my recommendations helpful. These are some of the best generators you can get for your  money.  Consider the size of your home and how many lights or appliances you would need in a power outage, then make your own educated decision. Don’t dwell on the decision to buy one. Most of us regret not buying one when a bad storm knocks down power-lines and we’re left in the dark.

Are you getting tired of those power outages? Then it’s time to do something about it. Don’t just sit there like most people and wait for the power to return. Meanwhile your smart neighbor is comfortably watching TV and enjoying his day while the whole house generator is running .  If you’ve never lived next to a neighbor with an emergency generator, than trust me when I tell you that it can be a little agonizing. While you’re in the dark with flashlights and candles, he’s living like nothing ever happened!

The decision of getting a  home backup generator was easy for me. How much longer could I stand watching my neighbor with all his lights and TVs on while I bask in the light of candles. The only problem was that I didn’t like the type of generator he had. I wanted something a little more modern and quieter. So while doing my research I discovered a few things about generators:

1. Portable generators aren’t the only options available and they all don’t run on gas. They can run on gas, diesel, propane and natural gas. Additionally there are the non-portable standby generators that are able to detect a power outage and switch on automatically. A lot larger than the portable counterpart, but definitely more affective.

2. Wattage and HP – Knowing how much power you will need is also very important. Understanding the requirements for the size of your home is really essential before making your purchase. The average home requires from 5000 to 7000 watts to power essential items. Below is a simple chart to help you determine how much power you may need from your generator.

3. Noise factor – Some generators can be very noisy and may cause a disturbance to others. I found that price also had a factor in noise reduction. Some of the pricier models are a lot quieter, so be prepared to pay a little more if your concerned about noise.

4. Reliability and Warranty – You want to get a brand with a long history of producing emergency generators. Seriously, if you want your generator to last for years than you need to be careful what brand & model you chose. There are so many to chose from you can go bonkers making your decision. But don’t worry I weeded out the junk will give some really good ones to pick from.

Here are a few generators on my list, but not necessary on the top of my list. I’ll write about those on my next post.

The ETQ TG72k12 8,250 watt portable generator. This baby packs a punch for it’s size, and can power many  home appliances at the same time, like the TV, refrigerator, water heater and others for up to 10 hours at 50% load. It has an over sized muffler for quieter operation. Not bad for a portable generator of this size.

The DuroMax XP4400 4,400 watt portable generator also packs a lot of power for the price. This one is perfect for those that only need to power a few items in the home. It has a 4 gallon gas tank and can run for about 8 hours. But like I said earlier, the price can also determine how noisy it will be. In this case the DuroMax XP4400 is not as quiet as the ETQ TG72k12.

Now on the higher price range and performance there is the Generac Guardian Series 5504. For those who are really serious about powering the whole house than this baby is for you. It packs 17,000 watts powered by propane or natural gas. It’s an automatic standby generator, so when the power goes out it will automatically turn on to give you electricity.

Hi everyone.  Frank here,

I finally finished gathering all the data from my research on home generators.  I’m going to be covering many of the questions people normally ask before deciding to make that first purchase.  One thing to remember is that not all generators are built the same. There is a level of understanding one must have before buying one. Here are a few points I will be covering on my next post:

• Fuel Type - The variations in fuel type and which one is best suited for your needs. Home generators can run on gas, propane, gasoline and diesel. I’m going to help you pick the right fuel type for your generator.
• Brand Name -  There are a few companies out there making some really good products, while others fall a little short on reliability. I’m going to discuss some of the best brands and rate some of their best models.
• Portable Generators - There are many portable generators that can pack a punch, and give you all the power you need for a few hours. I’ll be reviewing and rating some of the best models.

As you can see, I have a lot to cover.  I’m sure the information I’ll be providing will get you started on that first purchase.  See you on my next post, and I hope you will find it informative.